I am asking for some expert and experienced help because I cannot cut a true
or repeatable 90 degree cut on my tablesaw.
I have been trying to cut some quartersawn white oak( 3/4" thick and 4"
wide) to final dimensions but cannot get a true 90 cross cut. If I do luck
out and get one, the next cut is a fraction of a degree off from a true
right angle.
Out of frustration I even bought an Incra miter fence (to replace the cheesy
Sear one) and spent all morning aligning it only to find I still can't make
the 90 cut. The cuts start out true but seem to wander toards to outside of
the blade at the end of the cut (last 1 to 1-1/2 ")
Some data:
Craftsman 10" contractor saw
Freud Diablo think kerf blade
Incra Miter fence
I did:
Make sure the blade is aligned to the miter slots
Set the Incra miter gauge perpendicular to the blade.
Clamp the wood to the fence to avoid movement
I don't force the wood too fast
Joined bothedges of teh board so I know I am not transferring one inacuracy
to another.
Apprecaite your advice or thoughts on how to tackle this. Thanks
Ken in Virginia Beach
I had a Sears for many years. The miter slot on the left side of the
blade had some slop, in the middle of the table, you may want to check
yours.
I've not used the Incra, or found a miter gauge thats accurate enough
for cabinet work. Make a miter sled.
As also mentioned, and I agree, a thin kerf blade should not be used
for your application.
Sheckster wrote:
> I am asking for some expert and experienced help because I cannot cut a true
> or repeatable 90 degree cut on my tablesaw.
>
> I have been trying to cut some quartersawn white oak( 3/4" thick and 4"
> wide) to final dimensions but cannot get a true 90 cross cut. If I do luck
> out and get one, the next cut is a fraction of a degree off from a true
> right angle.
>
> Out of frustration I even bought an Incra miter fence (to replace the cheesy
> Sear one) and spent all morning aligning it only to find I still can't make
> the 90 cut. The cuts start out true but seem to wander toards to outside of
> the blade at the end of the cut (last 1 to 1-1/2 ")
>
> Some data:
> Craftsman 10" contractor saw
> Freud Diablo think kerf blade
> Incra Miter fence
>
> I did:
> Make sure the blade is aligned to the miter slots
> Set the Incra miter gauge perpendicular to the blade.
> Clamp the wood to the fence to avoid movement
> I don't force the wood too fast
> Joined bothedges of teh board so I know I am not transferring one inacuracy
> to another.
>
>
> Apprecaite your advice or thoughts on how to tackle this. Thanks
> Ken in Virginia Beach
the whole concept of a crosscut or mitre sled is that the flat base rides
perfectly perpendicular when glided by the 2 guides tight in the two slots.
Unbelievably so. You can rely on no lateral movment within thousands of an
inch (fraction of the width of a piece of paper). Making a good sled is a
piece of cake, minimum tools and gen. off the (cull)/ rack stock, takes
minutes, and costs peanuts. You need to make a cross cut and a also a
mitre sled, can't buy em. Later can be adjusted 0-180°. Thats a start.
Kinda like a shooting board that is a mirror image through the centerline
line (blade).
X-cut: mdf/mealmine/arborite/pc base approx 15"x 28"x3/4" (one of em); off
the rack select 2"x4" say 28", and 16"; any stock from any piece, say
fingerjoint pine 1"x4"x?' sanded down to slot size and cut to length. Put 2
slides/guides into saw. Lay base on top by eye only. Screw through top
into 2 slides/guides. Sand these later till it slides nice. Attach 2x4 to
front and back of base. One side, use not-countersunk, but round head
screws (with a flat bottom) and an oversized hole. Turn on saw and raise
blade. Push back and forth. Adjust fence with screws from underneath on
one side so ? to cut in base. Add a chunbk of 2x4 so you won't push your
palm into blade as closest fence goes past blade
Mitre sled: wing nuts and m/c screws. otherwise two slides, a base, two
adjust. wings. I made mine with base only as support, I never cut through
the base fully - I stop.
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"Sheckster" wrote in message
> Joined bothedges of teh board so I know I am not transferring one
inacuracy
> to another.
Your problem may be cumulative, and the above may be another source of your
problem.
Jointing both edges of the wood will not guarantee parallel edges, and
without parallel edges you won't measure a 90 a degree cut from both edges.
Jointing one edge, then ripping the opposite, is the correct method ...
assuming your table saw is aligned correctly.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 6/21/06
"Sheckster" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:cewng.58157$9c6.10830@dukeread11...
<snip>
> The cuts start out true but seem to wander toards to outside of
> the blade at the end of the cut (last 1 to 1-1/2 ")
You've gotten some excellent advice so far but the above statement
points to another possibility - arbor movement. With the saw
unplugged remove the throat plate and try to move the blade from
side to side. You're not looking for blade flex here but rather if the
arbor is moving in and out of it's mountings. No movement is good.
Any movement means either that the bearings are bad or that you
have a loose mechanism that holds the arbor the the bearing. Often
this is just a setscrew which is easily tightened.
Art
"Sheckster" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:cewng.58157$9c6.10830@dukeread11...
>
> Some data:
> Craftsman 10" contractor saw
> Freud Diablo think kerf blade
> Incra Miter fence
>
> I did:
> Make sure the blade is aligned to the miter slots
> Set the Incra miter gauge perpendicular to the blade.
> Clamp the wood to the fence to avoid movement
> I don't force the wood too fast
> Joined bothedges of teh board so I know I am not transferring one
> inacuracy to another.
Most likely its the think kerf blade that is causing your problems. Thin
kerf blades flex easily.
Thx for all the great tips and gouge. I've rechecked the arbor and it tight
so the blade must be a bit flexible. Alignment too.
Reverted to my old cross cut sled and it worked like a charm. So much for
$100+ off the shelf stuff. Like you all said, make it yourself and you'll
know it works.
Appreciate the goups help and advice.
"Wood Butcher" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Sheckster" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:cewng.58157$9c6.10830@dukeread11...
> <snip>
>> The cuts start out true but seem to wander toards to outside of
>> the blade at the end of the cut (last 1 to 1-1/2 ")
>
> You've gotten some excellent advice so far but the above statement
> points to another possibility - arbor movement. With the saw
> unplugged remove the throat plate and try to move the blade from
> side to side. You're not looking for blade flex here but rather if the
> arbor is moving in and out of it's mountings. No movement is good.
> Any movement means either that the bearings are bad or that you
> have a loose mechanism that holds the arbor the the bearing. Often
> this is just a setscrew which is easily tightened.
>
> Art
>
>
This is mostly a "ME TOO" post. You've gotten some good feedback already.
I also have a TS that allows the miter gauge to rattle in the groove in certain places. Build a
sled and you'll never have to worry about it again.
I second dumping the thin kerf blade. I also have an inexpensive saw (begin drive-by....until next
weekend when I pick up all 460 lbs of my Jet 3hp beauty...end drive-by) and went the thin kerf route
myself for a while. Then picked up an Oldham signature blade at the WW show a few years back, and
was very pleasantly surprised at how much it improved my cuts. It's a good blade for the money, and
takes an eighth kerf. Stabilizer/silencer that came with it may have helped too. I haven't tried
any of the Freud blades, but some folks swear by them.
The way you describe only the last inch or two being off, makes me think that it is the blade
deflecting just a bit. The other possible cause of deflection that comes to mind is in the case of
the table saw if it is made out of thin sheet metal. I don't suppose there are any loose screws or
anything in the actual arbor/motor mounting assembly to the table top, are there?
Hope something in here helps.
Regards,
Roy
On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 09:30:43 -0400, "Sheckster" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I am asking for some expert and experienced help because I cannot cut a true
>or repeatable 90 degree cut on my tablesaw.
>
>I have been trying to cut some quartersawn white oak( 3/4" thick and 4"
>wide) to final dimensions but cannot get a true 90 cross cut. If I do luck
>out and get one, the next cut is a fraction of a degree off from a true
>right angle.
>
>Out of frustration I even bought an Incra miter fence (to replace the cheesy
>Sear one) and spent all morning aligning it only to find I still can't make
>the 90 cut. The cuts start out true but seem to wander toards to outside of
>the blade at the end of the cut (last 1 to 1-1/2 ")
>
>Some data:
>Craftsman 10" contractor saw
>Freud Diablo think kerf blade
>Incra Miter fence
>
>I did:
>Make sure the blade is aligned to the miter slots
>Set the Incra miter gauge perpendicular to the blade.
>Clamp the wood to the fence to avoid movement
>I don't force the wood too fast
>Joined bothedges of teh board so I know I am not transferring one inacuracy
>to another.
>
>
>Apprecaite your advice or thoughts on how to tackle this. Thanks
>Ken in Virginia Beach
>